Kerf-cutting machine



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KEEP-CUTTING momma Filed Jan. 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 29, 1947 Search Ro KERF-CUTTING MACHINE George Bodin, Chicago, 111., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 19, 1946, Serial No. 642,309

Claims. (Cl. 262-28) This invention relates to improvements in kerfcutting machines of the type having a cutter bar supported for rotatable movement about an axis extending longitudinally of the cutter bar. for positioning the cutter bar to cut in various cutting planes.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a novel and simplified means selectively operable to lock the cutter bar supporting frame and cutter bar of a kerf-cutting machine in a desired cutting plane when turned about an axis extending longitudinally of the machine, which may also tilt the cutter bar about said longitudinal axis during the cutting operation, independently of the power driven gearing provided to turn the cutter bar about said longitudinal axis, to provide an accurate manually operable means to adjust the bar to positions parallel to the ground, or to tilt it to conform to a band in the coal face where the band might not be parallel to the body of the machine, and to adjust the plane of the cutter bar during cutting to prevent it from deviating from the desired cuttifig plane.

This and other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the forward part of a kerf-cutting machine having a locking device constructed in accordance with my invention embodied therein, with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in substantially horizontal section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the locking means in an engaged or locked position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view somewhat similar to Figure 2, but showing the locking means in a disengaged position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Figure 3 and showing the locking means in an unlocked position; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of the kerf-cutting machine in side elevation, with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in substantially longitudinal section.

In the drawings a well-known form of kerfcutting machine having a locking device constructed in accordance with my invention embodied therein, is generally indicated by reference character I0. Said machine is only shown in so far as is necessary to clearly illustrate my invention and may be of a type similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 2,027,456, which issued to W. W. Sloane on January 14, 1936, and includes a support frame II which may be mounted on a truck (not shown). A motor (not shown) may be mounted at the rear end of said support frame and may provide a source of power to turn a cutter chain carrying cutter bar I2, projecting from said support frame, about an axis extending longitudinally of said support frame, to position said cutter bar so its chain (not shown) may cut in various desired planes, and to drive its cutter chain about said cutter bar.

The support frame II has a forwardly extending cylindrical portion I3 forming a bearing support for a cylindrical rear end portion I4 of a cutter frame I5, for mounting said cutter frame for rotation about an axis extending longitudinally of said support frame. Segments of an annular ring I6 are herein shown as being secured to the rear end of said cutter frame adjacent opposite sides thereof, as by cap screws I1, II. Said ring segments engage a rear shouldered portion of said cylindrical portion I3 of said support frame to mount said cutter frame on the forward end of said support frame, for rotatable movement with respect thereto.

The cutter frame I5 projects forwardly of said support frame and forms a housing and bearing support means for gearing indicated generally by reference character I8, for driving the cutter chain (not shown) about the cutter bar I2, and has a pair of parallel spaced guides I9, I9 extending therefrom having a cutter head 20 guided therein for movement towards and away from said cutter frame and moved along said guides by power in a well known manner. The cutter bar I2 is mounted on said cutter head for pivotal movement with respect thereto about the axis of its drive sprocket in the manner shown in the aforementioned Sloane patent, and where it is desired that the cutter bar cut vertical as well as horizontal kerfs, said cutter bar may be pivotally moved by power about said axis in a manner similar to that shown in Patent No. 2,053,467, which issued to H. W. Driehaus on September 8, 1936, and no part of my present invention, so not herein shown or described.

The reduction gearing for turning the cutter frame I5 about an axis extending longitudinally of the supporting frame II is similar to that shown in the aforementioned Sloane Patent No. 2,027,456, and includes a spur gear 2| mounted on a longitudinally extending sleeve 22 rotatably driven from a source of power and slidably movable along said sleeve to selectively mesh with spur gears 23 rotatably mounted on a rear wall 24 of the cutter frame I, on longitudinally extending stub shafts 25. Said spur gears mesh with an internal gear 26 secured to the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion l3 of the support frame l0. Thus, when the spur gear 2|, driven from the sleeve 22, is meshed with the spur gears 23, the cutter frame 15 will be rotatably driven about the axis of said sleeve, to position the cutter bar to cut in the desired cuttin plane.

Referring now in particular to the means for locking the cutter bar in the desired cuttin plane, each annular ring segment I6 is herein shown as having a worm gear segment 21 formed integrally therewith, which is adapted to be meshed with a self-locking worm 29. Said worm is herein shown as being keyed on a vertical shaft 30 journaled adjacent its opposite ends in bearing members 3|, 3|. Said bearing members are each provided with an eccentrically formed inner bearing portion 33 disposed adjacent the Worm 29. Each of said eccentrically formed portions is journaled in a bearing support 34. Said bearing supports are mounted on the vertically spaced ends of a bracket 35, which is mounted on an outer side wall of the support frame II and projects in an outward and forward direction therefrom (see Figures 1, 4 and 6). Thrust collars 31, 31 abut opposite ends of said worm and abut the inner sides of said bearing supports.

The outer portions of the bearing members 3|, 3| are formed concentrically with the center of the worm 29 and have vertically spaced upper and lower arms 39 and 40 of an operating lever 4| keyed thereto. Movement of said operating lever about the axis of the vertical shaft 30 will turn said bearing support members and move the worm about the axis of the eccentric portions 33, 33 of said bearing members, to mesh said worm with or bring said worm out of mesh with the teeth of the respective worm ear segment 21, in an obvious manner.

A hand grip 43 projects outwardly from said operating lever and has a locking lever 44 pivotally mounted thereon. Said locking lever has a rearwardly projecting lever arm 45 adapted to be moved against a spring 45 by the hand, to disengage an upwardly projecting locking dog 41 of said locking lever from one of two notches 49, 50 formed in a locking plate Said locking plate abuts the underside of a block 52 secured to the bracket 35 and is adjustably mounted thereon by means of nuts and bolts 53, 53. Said nuts and bolts extend through arcuate slotted portions 54, 54 of said locking plate to permit the position of said locking plate to be adjustably moved to determine the depth of mesh of the teeth of the worm 29 with the teeth of the respective worm gear segment 21, when the locking dog 414s in engagement with either of the notches 49 or 50.

In Figure 4 the dog 41 is in engagement with the notch 49, to lock the worm 29 in mesh with a worm gear segment 21 and lock the cutter frame l5 from rotational movement about the axis of the sleeve 22 by reason of the fact that the pitch of said worm is such that said worm gear segment cannot rotatably move said worm. When the operating lever 41 is locked in this position and it is desired to slightly vary the cutting plate of the cutter bar when preparing to cut to accurately position the bar parallel to the ground or to a dirt band in the coal seam, or to change the angle of the cutter bar during the cutting operation and prevent the bar from deviating from the desired cutting plane, a hand lever 55 may be mounted on a squared upper end 58 of the shaft 30 for rotating said worm and thus pivoting the cutter bar about the axis of said sleeve 22 through the worm gear segment 21, independently of the power drive gearing for turning said cutter bar about the axis of said sleeve.

When it is desired to more positively lock the cutter bar I2 in a cutting position and to prevent vibration dun'ng cutting from causing said cutter bar to turn a slight amount in one direction or another, the locking dog 41 of the locking lever 44 may be engaged with the notch 50. This will mesh said worm more deeply with the teeth of the respective worm gear segment 21 and positively hold said worm gear and cutter bar frame from turning movement about the axis of said longitudinal shaft, both by the self-locking characteristics of said worm and by frictional engagement between said worm and worm gear.

When it is desired to turn the cutter bar by power, the operating lever 4| may be moved substantially 180 from the position shown in Figure 4, to the position shown in Figure 5. In this position the teeth of said worm are entirely disengaged from the teeth of said worm gear segments as is shown in Figure 3.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simplified means has been provided for locking the cutter bar of a kerf-cutting machine in the desired cutting plane, which forms a positive locking means therefor and which also permits a limited adjustment of the cutter bar independently of the power drive gearing for rotatably turning the cutter bar and its supporting cutter frame, to accurately position the cutter bar in the required cutting plane preparatory to the cutting operation, and to tilt or level the cutter bar during the cutting operation, to maintain the kerf in the desired plane, and which thus makes it unnecessary to stop the cutting operation in order to bring the cutter bar into the proper cutting position.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a kerf-cutting machine, a support frame, a cutter frame mounted on said support frame 'adjacent the forward end thereof for rotatable movement about a longitudinal axis, a cutter bar projecting from said cutter frame, reduction gearing operativel connected with said cutter frame, for turning said cutter frame by power about said longitudinal axis into one of several desired cutting positions, and means for locking said cutter frame in the desired cutting position including a self-locking worm mounted on said support frame and having interengaging connection with said cutter frame, means selectively operable for moving said worm into and out of engagement with said cutter frame to lock said cutter frame searcn NU ing said worm about its axis to turn said cutter frame and cutter bar about said longitudinal axis independently of said gear reduction mechanism, to level or tilt said cutter bar during the cutting operation.

2. In a kerf-cutting machine, a support frame, a cutter frame mounted on said support frame adjacent the forward end thereof for rotatable movement about a longitudinal axis, a cutter bar projecting from said cutter frame, reduction gearing connected with said cutter frame for turning said cutter frame about said longitudinal axis by power into one of several desired cutting positions, and means for locking said cutter frame in the desired cutting position including a plurality of spaced worm gear segments on said cutter frame arranged coaxially with said longitudinal axis, a self-locking worm mounted on said support frame for movement about an axis eccentric of its axis of rotation and journaled for ro-' tation about its axis, means selectively operable to turn said worm about said eccentric axis to bring said worm into and out of mesh with respective of said gear segments and to lock said worm in mesh with the desired gear segment, and means for turning said worm about its axis, to turn said cutter bar about said longitudinal axis independently of said gear reduction mechanism to tilt or level said cutter bar during the cutting operation.

3. In a kerf-cutting machine, a support frame, a cutter frame mounted on said support frame adjacent the forward end thereof for rotation about a longitudinal axis, a cutter bar projecting from said cutter frame, reduction gearing operatively connected with said cutter frame for turning said cutter frame about said longitudinal axis by power into one of several desired cutting positions, and means for locking said cutter frame in the desired cutting position including a plurality of radially spaced worm gear segments extending outwardly from said cutter frame, a selflocking worm adapted to be moved into mesh with respective of said worm gear segments for holding said gear segments from turning movement, bearing support means on said support frame, bearing means mounted in said bearing support means for turning movement about an axis eccentric of the center of rotation of said worm, said bearing means also mounting said worm in said bearing support means for rotation about its axis of rotation, to permit said worm to turn said cutter bar independently of said reduction gearing when in mesh with one of said worm gear segments, means for turning said bearing means about said eccentric axis to bring said worm into and out of mesh with the desired worm gear segment, and means for locking said bearing means from turning movement in one position, to hold said worm gear in mesh with the desired worm gear segment but to permit said worm to be rotatably moved to tilt said cutter bar about said 1ongitudinal axis independently of said gear reduction mechanism, said locking means being operative to lock said bearing means in a second position, to lock said worm in positive engagement with the teeth of the desired worm gear segment and ositively hold said worm and worm gear segment from rotational movement.

4. In a kerf-cutting machine, a support frame, a cutter frame mounted on said support frame adjacent the forward end thereof, for rotation about a longitudinal axis, a cutter bar projecting from said cutter frame, reduction gearing for turning said cutter frame by power about said longitudinal axis into one of several operative positions, and means for locking said cutter frame and cutter bar in the desired operative position including a plurality of radially spaced worm gear segments extending outwardly from said cutter frame, a self-locking worm adapted to be moved into and out of mesh with respective of said worm gear segments, bearing means for mounting said worm gear for rotation about its axis, said bearing means having an external portion formed about an axis eccentric of the center of said worm, bearing support means for said eccentric portion of said bearing means, for mounting said bearing means for rotation about an axis eccentric of the center of said worm, means for turning said bearing means about said eccentric axis to bring said worm into and out of mesh with the desired worm gear segments, means for locking said bearing means from turning movement, to hold said worm gear in mesh with the desired worm gear segment, and means operable independently of said gear reduction mechanism for rotatably moving said worm to tilt said cutter bar about said longitudinal axis during the cutting operation.

5. In a kerf-cutting machine, a support frame, a cutter frame mounted on said support frame adjacent the forward end thereof for rotation about a longitudinal axis, a cutter bar projecting from said cutter frame, reduction gearing for turning said cutter frame by power about said longitudinal axis to position said cutter bar in one of several desired operative positions, and means for locking said cutter frame and cutter bar in the desired operative position including a plurality of radially spaced worm gear segments extending outwardly from said cutter frame, a self-locking worm, bearing means for mounting said worm gear on said support frame for rotation about its axis, said bearing means having an external portion formed about an axis eccentric of the center of said worm, bearing support means engaging said eccentric portion of said bearing means, means for pivotally moving said bearing means about said eccentric axis to bring said worm into or out of mesh with one of said worm gear segments depending upon the position of said cutter bar, including a hand lever operatively connected with said bearing means, for turning said bearing means, means selectively operable for locking said hand lever in one position to lock said worm in mesh with the desired worm gear segment and for locking said hand lever in another position to positively engage said worm with the desired worm gear segment to positively hold said cutter frame from rotation, and means operable independently of said gear reduction mechanism when said hand lever is locked in said one position, for turning said worm about its axis, to tilt said cutter bar about said longitudinal axis.

GEORGE BODIN. 

